Ghosts of Paradise
by A naughty mouse
Summary: Toboe is captured by the nobles while Kiba and the others are learning more about paradise. Soon the hunt for paradise may turn into something more...Wolf's RainInuyasha X-over. Romance later.
1. The Capture

I do not own Wolf's Rain. Neither does this little dog sitting next to me.

This is my first fan fic so please, no flames but I would love to know what you people think! I have done my best to keep all characters in character, though I can guarantee some OOCness eventually. This will turn into an Inuyasha/Wolf's Rain crossover eventually with some romance; we just have to get there first, promise. Also, I apologize now for my spelling and grammar. I am doing my best. Now, enough with the formalities, on to the fun!

Ghosts of Paradise

Chapter One: The Capture

Six figures pounded down a back alley, desperate to escape. The youngest struggled to keep up with the rest, ignoring the blood running down his leg.

"I will not whine, I will not whine..." he mumbled under his breath.

"Come on runt!" Hige yelled from somewhere up ahead.

"I (huh) am!" Toboe yelled. Suddenly, it seemed as though he had too many feet to keep track of as he fell flat on the ground. The young pup tried to haul himself up, but to no avail, his strength had given out entirely. The edges of his vision turned cloudy and eventually black. He could feel the blood rushing to his head and his heart pound in his chest. His breath became shallower as his hearing became muffled, as though coming to him from a great distance.

Toboe could feel the Earth quake with the steady approach of two sets of feet, one to end his life and one to spare it. He had to get up. That much was not an option. He had to get up and continue this journey through the darkness, through hell, to...to what?

To a place no one could tell him existed? To a place only wolves could find? What about the humans? Did they have their own guiding light, their own Cheza, to lead them to paradise? Or was this it? Was this all the humans had coming to them?

Toboe was brought crashing back down to reality by a strong and callused hand grabbing him by the nape of the neck and the groan of leather.

'Tsume...'

"Come on, let's get movin' kid," Tsume growled.

"I...(wheeze)...was...just(wheeze)...getting..."

"Yeah, yeah, come on," Tsume barked. Tsume would never admit to anyone, especially himself, just how relieved he was to hear the old standby coming from this whimpering pup.

'I lost one kid on my watch,' Tsume thought, 'I'll be damned if I'll lose two.' Tsume hauled Toboe to his feet, only for Toboe to slump back down. "Damn," Tsume murmured. He then picked Toboe up, threw him over his shoulder and took off down the wet pavement.

A great crash of thunder shook the Earth and lightning split the sky just moments before the sky opened up and poured. Kiba glanced back over his shoulder to see Cheza struggling to keep her feet beneath her a s he dragged her along. Behind Cheza, Kiba could see Hige and Blue panting alongside one another, one occasionally hauling the other up as they stumbled to their knees. Behind them, Kiba saw Tsume running for all he was worth with Toboe thrown across his shoulders. He could smell Toboe's blood and the reek of fear emitting from all of his companions. Behind Tsume and Toboe, just within sight, were the Noble's forces, advancing with just one goal: kill.

The wolves were drenched and exhausted when respite appeared around a corner. There was a gap in a wall just large enough for them to fit through and well hidden. Everyone rushed in and pressed their backs firmly against the walls. Tsume kept his arm pressed firmly against Toboe's chest in an effort to keep him up against the wall. After the guards had stormed past, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and slumped onto the ground. Blue crawled over to Toboe and found the gash in his upper thigh and took care of it the best she could.

Kiba and Tsume got up and snuck over to the opening and looked out. They saw no signs of danger, but the threat hung heavy in the air.

"We're going to have to move, now," Tsume snapped.

"Do we hafta?" Hige moaned.

"Yes!" barked Tsume.

"What about Toboe? He can't walk on this leg, much less run!" Blue protested.

"Yeah, and I'm tired," Toboe whined, almost against his will. Almost.

"This one does not wish to continue either," Cheza whispered, gently placing a hand on Kiba's arm. Kiba looked at her with an unreadable expression as he covered her small hand with his own.

"It's not safe to stay here. We must keep moving," Kiba said. Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the patter of rain outside.

"How long do we have until they start backtracking and find us?" Hige asked.

"Not long," Blue sighed. Everyone but Toboe stood up, realizing they had to get away from the area. All eyes were directed at Toboe and the bloodstain that was slowly growing on his pant leg despite Blue's care.

'He's goin' to bleed to death' Tsume thought as he watched the pale face turn into a grimace as Toboe attempted standing. He knew he did not have the strength, but did not want to be thought weak or left behind either. What little strength Toboe had in his good leg gave out almost immediately and he hit the ground, new pain shooting through his body.

Tsume could not watch the war between will and body anymore and he picked Toboe up again.

"Get out of here and split up, we'll meet at the door leading out of the city," Kiba ordered. He grabbed Cheza's hand and took off out the opening. Blue and Hige stumbled out together, heading off in the opposite direction. Finally, Tsume ran out with Toboe slung over his shoulder again. The six ran for all they were worth, all trying to find alternate routs to the door.

Tsume took off down an alleyway, occasionally yelling at the people standing around the barrels asking for directions. As he rounded a corner he was met by six Noble guards. Easy pickings, if he did not have Toboe. The guards advanced on the pair of wolves with guns ready. Tsume crouched down and growled, taking on as best a fighting stance as he could.

"Hey kid, are you all right? This could get violent. Kid? Toboe?!" Tsume chanced a glance at Toboe, only to discover he was unconscious.

Tsume grumbled some choice words and prepared for the attack. The guards opened fire and started shooting at Tsume and Toboe. Tsume dodged most of the blows but took on to the shoulder holding Toboe. Toboe was knocked to the ground and a well aimed shot forced Tsume to dodge in the opposite direction. Two guards ran towards Toboe with the obvious intention of either killing him or just taking him. Tsume lunged, taking hold of one of their necks and biting down until he could hear the satisfying crunch of crushed bones and arteries and feel hot blood coat his mouth. Tsume realized this was a very Kiba-like move, but necessary to save the runt. By this time the other guard had Toboe in his arms and was now staring at a very angry wolf. Tsume ran forward to attack, ready to kill again. The guard held his gun aimed a little above Tsume's chest and waited for the attack. Tsume leapt up to grab the man's throat only to find himself blown backwards by the impact from the gun. Tsume hit a wall and fell to the wet ground unconscious and badly injured. The guards left him for dead or dying and took Toboe with them into the heart of the storm.

Well, I hope you liked it! I won't know though unless you review! I would like to get 5 reviews for this first one, but if I get just one asking me to continue I will. I am also working on a Rurouni Kenshin story, but I will wait to see how this story is received before I post that. Thank you for reading, now please, REVIEW!!!!


	2. I Failed

I do not own Wolf's Rain, neither do I own this computer I am typing on. My mom does. I only own my mangas and Anime DVDs, though in a round about way, I guess mom owns those too.

Wow! Thank you so much for the kind reviews I received! People asked for me to continue, so continue I shall! My goal is to try and update at least every other day, but that could get difficult. I'll do my best. And please, if my story starts to get too corny, let me know. It might. Also, feel free to leave some criticisms, just no flames please! This chapter is really short, so I am posting 2 today (I would have posted yesterday, but, band concert, you know how that goes!) Now, onto the story!

Ghosts of Paradise 

Chapter 2: I Failed (A Short Chapter)

Kiba, Cheza, Blue and Hige all arrived at the door leading out of the city at once. The four stood around for a moment, panting and trying to catch their breaths.

"Where are Tsume and Toboe?" Kiba asked between pants.

"Don't know. They should be here by now," Hige replied.

"You don't think they ran into trouble do you?" Blue asked.

"Nah, they probably just took the long way. You know Tsume," Hige said confidently. Blue and Cheza did not look convineced. Suddenly, a crash reverberated through the night and a cat yeowled as it streaked away. The four companions looked in the direction of the disturbance. There, stumbling out of the alley like a drunken sailor, was a bloody and bruised Tsume. Everyone stared at him for a moment as he slumped against the wall, trying to stand up again. The four ran over to him and helped him onto the ground. They quickly started cleaning wounds, trying to figure out what blood was his and what was not. Tsume kept pushing his friends away, mumbling under his breath. It suddenly occurred to them what the real problem was.

"Where's Toboe?" Kiba asked.

"Toboe...Toboe...they, they attacked...us...they 't...protect...him. They...took him, away. I failed...I failed..."

I told you it was short! Please review!


	3. The Angel Who Resides in Hell

I still do not own Wolf's Rain and now I do not own Inuyasha either (Though not for lack of trying!)

Well, I promised 2 chapters today because chapter 2 was so short, and that there would be an eventual Inuyasha X-over. I am using an Alternate pairing from Inuyasha that I am very fond of but might make people upset. Oh well, I LOVE FLUFFY!!! On to my story, hope you like! ï 


	4. Aurora Borealis

I only got one new review! How disappointing! Getting reviews is the highlight of my day (sad, I know). I am sorry about the trouble you had getting to chapters 2 and 3, but I've noticed that that has been happening with other stories. If it says the story has been updated, but you find no new chapters, come back later, they're just not there yet. Also, I want to start replying to the reviews I get because I always get a kick out of it when authors do that. Maybe I'll start next chapter, depending on the kind of feedback I get. Ok, onto the story. Hope you like! –A naughty mouse

Ghosts of Paradise

Chapter 4: Aurora Borealis

The small, make shift pack sat in an alleyway just inside the domed city. They were all eager to move, to find Toboe and escape the city, but Tsume was too badly injured. After an hour of ranting, Tsume had finally fallen asleep, a lone tear sliding down his face. He felt awful and blamed himself for what happened to Toboe. He would never forgive himself if the kid died. Toboe was like his son, in an annoying and awkward sort of way. Or at least, that is what he told himself.

Tsume tried to roll onto his side, but found it too painful. He rolled back onto his back and turned his head to look at the others. Kiba was looking off into the distance, to Paradise and beyond. Cheza sat, looking up at the moon, basking in what little light it offered the flower maiden and her wolves that night. Blue had her head resting on Hige's chest with a lost look on her face. Hige just held her close with an unusually somber look on his face.

The slightest breeze blew down the alley, carrying the scent of a wolf. The pack all looked in the direction of the scent. There, at the opening to the alley, stood a wolf. His human guise was that of a man with short, shaggy hair and baggy clothes. He looked very young as he smirked and approached the others.

"No offense man, but you look like something the cat dragged in," he said to Tsume.

"What do you know?" Tsume said, wincing as he tried to sit up.

"Who are you?" asked Kiba.

"Your saving grace, by the looks of it. I'm Mizu, pleased to meet 'cha," he said, eyeing the pack.

"Saving grace? What do you mean? Do you have food?!" Hige yelped as his stomach growled.

"You sure forgot about Toboe awfully quickly, Porky," Tsume snapped. Hige gave the injured wolf a guilty look before aiming his gaze towards the ground.

"Look, I don't know anything about a Toboe, or whatever, but I do know where you can get some food and get cleaned up," Mizu offered, shoving his hands into his pockets. All eyes were aimed at Kiba.

"We aren't doing Toboe any good just sitting here, and paradise isn't getting any closer. Let's go eat and then try to find some sign of Toboe," Hige said.

Kiba looked at Tsume, who just huffed and turned the other way.

"We will find Toboe, but Hige is right, we aren't doing him any good starving. Tsume?" Kiba said, searching for a response from Tsume.

"I don't care what we do. Leave the pup for all I care. It'd be easier that way."

"Boy, you sure changed your tune quickly," Hige teased. He quickly backed down when Tsume shot him a glare that could turn fire to ice. Everyone turned when a yell was heard. Tsume managed to sit up, but not without serious pain. He was now trying to get to his feet, using the wall next to him for leverage. Hige and Kiba ran over to Tsume, each taking an arm and helped him up.

"Let's go," Tsume grunted once he was up and supported by the other two wolves. Mizu nodded and turned to leave the alley.

The going was slow, but the five wolves and Cheza eventually arrived at a dingy bar. The inside was dark with a dim light above each table and five or so above the bar. There were tables, booths, stools, and a minuscule dance floor with a jukebox. Smoke clung desperately to the air, making the wolves eyes water and Cheza's head spin. They were shocked to realize about half the customers in there were wolves.

"Sam's a good guy. Human, but knows about us. Wolves eat free here, and stay free too, if they need to. We each pay him back in our own way. The waitress is a wolf. Man, is she gorgeous. She used to have a little sister, but the Noble's men came and took her away about six months ago. They'll take care of you. Hey, Sam!" Mizu called across the room. A jolly-looking man stepped out of a door with a curtain covering it.

"What did you bring me this time, Miz?" he asked the wolf.

"A kid who picked a fight with the wrong end of a meat grinder or blow torch by the looks of him," replied Mizu. Tsume growled low in his throat. Sam obviously heard the growl but seemed unaffected by it.

"Take him upstairs. I'll send Aurora up to look at him in a minute," he said as he started to fill an order. Mizu lead them through the bar and up some stairs to a homey little room with a small fireplace, an armchair that looked about as old as dirt if not older and smelled like it too, and was otherwise occupied by books. Shelves of books, tables loaded with books, chairs seated in by books, books stacked on the floor, everywhere, books.

Kiba and Hige eased Tsume into the armchair, then stood beside him. Tsume was glad to sit. He did not want to admit just how much pain he was in. Blue was looking at the books, wishing she could read, and Cheza seemed to be looking for something.

"What is it, Cheza?" Kiba asked, smiling fondly at her as though she were a child.

"It is faint, very faint, but this one senses someone else like her." Kiba was just getting ready to respond when the door opened. All jaws in the room dropped.

Standing in the door was a woman unlike any they had ever seen. Her face was long and her skin was tan. Her neck was long, 'Like a swan,' Hige thought. Her hair was black as night and cascaded down just past the small of her back. She had full red lips and large golden eyes. Her eyes seemed as though they could capture a man's soul and leave him lost forever. They were the eyes of someone who knew fear and courage, strength and weakness, joy and sorrow. She was dangerous like Tsume. It seemed to cling to her persona along with a startling wisdom. What shocked everyone though was her scent. She was obviously a wolf, but mixed with this scent, in her very blood, was the smell of Lunar flowers.

The woman smiled at the people gathered in her home and said, "Hi, I'm Aurora." Mizu was the first to come out of the trance. This was not the first time he had met the barmaid, but every time he slipped under her spell. "Well, I better get movin'. See ya later toots," he said, patting Aurora's backside before descending the stairs. She jumped slightly, then gave the other wolf's receding back a dirty look. She then turned her attention to Tsume.

"Wow, you really did get beat up pretty bad," Aurora gasped. She ran her hands across his burns, cuts, gashes, and other injuries. Tsume could feel a slight blush rise to his face and butterflies do back flips in his stomach. Aurora left the room and returned a few minutes later with warm water, soap, and a rag to clean Tsume's wounds. The guys watched Aurora work with great apparent interest. Cheza resumed her search once again. Blue occasionally glanced over at her to make sure the curious little flower maiden was staying out of trouble.

"Maybe you've heard something about our friend Toboe," Blue suggested.

"Like what?"

"Like where the soldiers took him." Aurora was still for a moment, her gaze wide-eyed and aimed at the scar on Tsume's chest. Suddenly her muscled relaxed and her eyes fell to the ground. "I don't know where they take their prisoners, or if they even keep them for that matter," she whispered dejectedly.

"It is here, it is here!" Cheza suddenly squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands like a small child.

"What is?" asked Aurora, grateful for the change in topic.

"The one like this one! It is here!" Aurora smiled and got up to walk over to Cheza. She reached up and took a book down off the shelf. It was a thick book with a leather cover and gold lettering and clasp.

"Do you know this book?" Aurora asked. Cheza shook her head but stared at it expectantly. "It is The Book of the Moon. In this book is the explanation of how man arose from wolves and a description of paradise. But do you know what else is in here?" Aurora asked. By this point all of the wolves had crowded in around Aurora and Cheza in an attempt to see the book. Cheza's eyes were wide and mouth was slightly agape as she hung on Aurora's every word. She slowly shook her head. Aurora's smile broadened then turned into a smirk as she let the book fall open in her hands. There, laying on the opened page, was a lunar flower.

'They'll come, won't they?' Toboe thought as he snuggled down in the corner of his cell. Luna was asleep already, leaving Toboe to his thoughts and Sesshomaru's gently clinking chains.

"Toboe, you are doubting your friends?"

"It's not that I doubt they'll come for me, its just..." Toboe's voice faded away as he thought about how much easier it would be for everyone if he just remained a prisoner of the nobles.

" 'Then I will be free.' A phrase I heard someone utter not long ago. She stood little chance though for she had no friends to rescue her from the clutches of the devil himself. Your friends will come, Toboe, you will be freed," Sesshomaru told the young wolf.

"I know, but, hey! How long have you been here?"

"I do not know. What is the date?" Toboe told Sesshomaru the year, but did not know the exact date. A bitter chuckle sounded and chains rattled as Sesshomaru murmured, "Two hundred years. This Sesshomaru has been held prisoner by those worthless humans for over two hundred years!" At this point Sesshomaru yanked on his chains, causing a large crash that startled Luna into wakefulness. She could sense the great anger and hatred emitting from the chained man flooding the room. She began to sing her song and Sesshomaru's anger receded.

Toboe sat in shock in his cell, puzzling over what Sesshomaru had said. 200 years, 200 years! How was that humanly possible? It wasn't. It wasn't even possible for a wolf or a lunar flower as far as Toboe knew. Nothing could survive that long, especially down in the horrible dungeon. Obviously, something could, and that something was chained in the dungeon with Toboe.

Well, that's this one. I hope you liked it. Please review, tell me what I'm doing right, doing wrong, what needs fixed, what to keep, what to pitch, but please, keep them nice! REVIEW!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!


	5. A Half Forgotten Tale

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha. Can't think of any witty comments to put here so I shall move on. It is too depressing.

Wow! I got a lot of reviews, they're mostly all from the same person, but hey, who am I to complain. A review is a review! I tried to make this chapter a little longer, but sacrificed the ending because I was getting really tired of writing. I'm so sorry! Please keep reading! I swear it will never happen again! Maybe... Anyway, writer responses I promised.

New York Vanilla- I'm glad you love my story! I will try my hardest to keep the same quality of writing if not better because I have been getting a lot of compliments for it. You'll learn more about Luna and Aurora later, I still have to figure them out! Sesshomaru is a character from Inuyasha, you'll learn a little more about him in this chapter, but suffice for now to know he is neither human nor wolf.

Nikkler- first of all, I appreciate all of your reviews! A Sessy X Toboe fic? Hmmm, hadn't thought of that, I may just have to dwell on that for a while. I'm glad you think my X-over is understandable. I'm doing my best so anyone can read it and at least have an idea of what is going on.

XLoneWolfX- I'm glad you like my story. I'm planning on keeping it going for a while.

OK peeps, never say I don't pay attention to what you people tell me! I have already had my whole plan for this story changed twice by passing comments from you the readers. I appreciate all the advice and suggestions I can get! Plus, the more reviews I get the happier I am, which is good for everyone concerned. I forgot to mention, I will not be able to update on Sundays except for on rare occasions, so I will try to work on just writing the story instead and update on Monday. Thank you SO much for liking my story! I hope you like this chapter (except the end, I was so tired of writing and I have to get to work on a big project I have due in two weeks and need to get some of it done, so the end got a little chopped, Sorry!) As for making my stories longer, I'll do my best! Oh yes, sorry about my spelling, there is something wrong with my spell check.

Ghosts of Paradise 

Chapter 5: A Half Forgotten Tale

Kiba, Tsume, Blue, Hige, and Cheza ate in silence at a corner booth in the bar. One thing haunted their minds, the lunar flower upstairs. They all knew that that must have been what attracted the large number of wolves to the area in spite of the danger. The question was though, how did it come to be in Aurora's possession? Kiba had so many questions for her, but Aurora had merely smiled her wicked little grin and told him it would have to wait. Now here they sat with lunar flowers and lost puppies on the brain until 2:00 AM when Aurora's shif would be over. They all picked at their food uninterestedly. Everyone but Hige that is. Eventually the other four just stared at the wolf as he shoved every scrap of food he could into his mouth.

"Disgusting," Tsume admonished.

"What? Can't let food go to wast!" was all Hige said.

Tsume sighed in disgust and took another bite out of his hamburger. The door to the bar opened and a cold breeze rushed in, sending paper, hair, and skirts everywhere. A crash was heard as Aurora "accidentally" dropped a tray full of beer onto a man's lap when his hand found its way up her skirt. The man who had just walked in laughed and said, "Glad to see you up to your usual antics, Aurora." Aurora gave a mock sneer, smiled, and went to refill the order.

"Hey Manch, what's up?" asked a wolf at the bar.

"Oh, not a whole lot. The nobles are more active than usual, but that's it really," the man replied. The few humans in the bar did not seem to care aobut this tidbit of information, but all of the wolves did.

"What do you mean, Manch?" someone asked.

"The Nobles have started arresting certain individusals," Manch said.

"Where are they taking them?" Tsume asked. Manch shrugged.

"Who knows? They don't come back though, dead or alive."

At this the whole place started whispering about torture chambers, incinerators, and other such gruesome fates. Manch forced his way through the babbling crowd to the bar. He then made his way to the corner booth where Kiba and his friends were sitting.

"You know, you could ask anyone in the city the question you just asked me and they would do one of two things. Either they'll tell you they don't know, or shoot you on the spot. There is a pretty little story you would probably be interested in hearing. Appearantly there is, or rather, was, a great castle here abouts that belonged to a great dog deomon Lord. As the story goes, our little nobles barged in, knocking the mighty king from his throne and taking the castle. Maybe you shouldn't be looking for a person, but for a castle in the sky," Manch recommended, raising his glass to the wolves. He then walked away, leaving the others to their thoughts.

"I'm afraid the story is a little more complicated than that," said Aurora, who had just walked up to their table. "Come on, my shift is over. You have questions and I may or may not have answers. If you're done eating, lets go upstairs."

Once upstairs everyone found a place around the fireplace. Tsume took the armchair because of his injuries, Kiba leaned against the wall next to the fireplace, Blue and Hige sat ont eh floor together, Cheza sat on the arm of Tsume's chair and petted him, much to Tsume's supposed dismay, and Aurora sat on the hearth in front of the fireplace.

"The flower, how did you get it, tell us," Kiba quietly demanded.

"The flower, sure, I'll tell you about the flower. But first you need to know the story of this city, the one Manch tried to tell you. These books are almost all banned. Banned, because they tell the truth. I have spent countless hours locked away in here pouring over these volumes of magic and long forgotten lore. To tell you the truth, I didn't much care about any of it until six months ago. That's when they came and took my little sister. When the Nobles take someone, all evidence of that person is erased. Their names are lifted from documents, certificates are destroyed, records are altered, but they can not erase their existance from living memories. Not that it hasn't been tried. The failed experiments of that venture are sitting in an insane asylum. I salvaged these books and have learned about almost a thousand years of transgressions against human life, disregard for the human soul, and horrible greed.

"It all started almost a thousand years ago. That was when she first appeared. A young human miko (priestess) named Kagome fell through a well into the feudal era. To make an incredibly long story relatively short, she joined forces with a half-demon, a kitsune pup, a monk, and a demon exterminator and her pet demon in order to rebuild a jewel known as the Shikon No Tama which had been shattered and kill a demon created from greed and lust named Naraku. By the time the final battle with Naraku came to a rise, the small army of friends had turned into a large army, created by the military expertise of the demon lord, Sesshomaru.There was now the group of jewel hunters, as the six were so fondly known, Lord Sesshomaru, demons loyal to Sesshomaru, demons loyal only to themselves, a pack of wolf demons, and the undead miko, Kikyo.

"The battle raged on for days, neither side really winning. This was a testament to the jewel hunters and their allies power, because they were facing a demon who was using the power of an almost complete Shikon No Tama. 'The jewel is most beautiful when bathed in blood.' That was also when it was at its most powerful, and bathed in blood it was. Countless innocents had been killed to strengthen the great Naraku and his minions. The jewel was crying for its other half, the power rising constantly. That is when Kagome made the decision that changed the coarse fo the battle. She called Kouga, the leader of the wolf demons, and asked for the jewel shards in his legs. This would slow the wolf prince down drastically, but was essential for her plan. Kouga loved Kagome and was willing to go to the ends of the Earth for her. He ripped the shards from his legs and gave them to Kagome. Kagome then tied her portion of the jewel to one of her sacred arrows and aimed for the piece Naraku had in his possesion. The arrow sailed towards its target, destroying everything in its way. This could be the end of the battle, but Kikyo had other plans. She got between the sacred arrow and Naraku, putting a barrier in place. She undersestimated Kagome's power though, and the arrow pierced the shield and Kikyo's heart.

"The jewel had an intersting quality to it. Whoever possessed it could not die. The jewel would call the body back together, restoring life. The explosion. Caused when Kagome's arrow pierced Kikyo's shield was enough to knock Naraku back and make him drop the jewel. The jewel was whole once again, but the arrow was still through Kikyo. 'The jewel called the split soul to be one again. Kagome and the undead miko were reunited in one body once again.' That is how Sesshomaru described it. Kagome now had the power to destroy Naraku, and she did. The explosion caused by this act ripped a hole in the fabric of time and space for a moment. For just a moment, paradise opened.

"Life changed from that day on. Kagome's powers, multiplied by Kikyo and, for some reason, the opening of Paradise, could not control herself without the jewel. The wolves swore to protect her by any means necessary.

"This is were records begin to get vague. Something happened, Kouga and his wolves vanished and were never mentioned again in any records I could find, Inuyasha was sealed away, and Kagome's sould was devoured. Her lifeless body was sealed away in Sesshomaru's palace, where it supposedly remains to this day.

"Sesshomaru continued to protect the Western lands and Kagome until a force was raised by the Nobles and the palace was conquered. Sesshomaru was locked away to be forgotten by time and the people he ruled. His palace, hidden by spells and enchantments, remained that way, overrun by Nobles. Alas, that is all I know," here Aurora finished her tale. Everyone was silent for a moment, thinking about what they were told.

"Wow, that sure bites," Hige muttered.

"What happened to the wolf demons?" Tsume asked. Aurora shrugged.

"So, in order to find Toboe, we have to find the palace," Kiba mused.

"Yeah, the one hidden so no one can find it. Sounds about as easy as finding paradise," Tsume pointed out bitterly.

"Yeah, but obviously it can be done. The Nobles found it, didn't they?" Hige retorted.

"Where do was start?" Blue asked.

"We start at the Forbidden Lake. In all of the legends discussing travel ot he castle, there are boats. The town was built around the lake, so it makes sense," Aurora informed them.

"Then let us go! Lets go now!" squeeled Cheza, excited by the prospect of seeing Toboe again.

"Wait, that still does not answer the question as to why you have a lunar flower," Tsume snapped.

Aurora smirked. "All will be answered in time, my patient little lamb. Now, Pinky over there is right, lets go!" Aurora tormented, clearly enjoying herself. Tsume growled at her, but she pretended not to notice.

"What?! Leave now?!" Hige shrieked.

"Why not?" Kiba calmly asked. Hige mumbled something about beauty sleep but reluctantly gave in.

"Come on, lets see if Manch and Mizu are still here, we can use all the help we can get," Aurora suggested.

"Cool," said Hige. "Um, no offense, but, should Tsume..."

"Don't even think about suggesting I stay here, Porky," Tsume snapped, growly low in his thoat and glaring daggers. "I'm FINE!" Blue rolled her eyes. They then went downstairs in search of the other two wolves. They were found at the end fo the bar, chatting and nursing drinks.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. We need you two boys to helpus, if you'd be so kind," said Aurora. Manch and Mizu turned to look at the young wolf female and smiled.

"What can we do for you, Toots?" asked Mizu.

"You can help us find the Nobles," said Tsume. The two men looked at each other then at the other wolves.

"All right then. Nothing like a suicide mission to add some mild excitement to your life."

"Lets go."

"Something is coming," said Sesshomaru.

"What is it?" asked Toboe.

"I don't know, but something big is going to happen. I can smell it."

"Maybe, we'll get out of here?" suggested Luna, hopefully. Sesshomaru did not respond. Something had awakened the devil in the castle, and blood was going to spill before the next nightfall.

Well, I hope you liked it, please REVIEW! I do listen!


	6. The Castle on the Surf

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha. Promise.

Hi Everybody! It's me again! Thank you so much for all of the kind reviews, I love them all. Here are your responses:

New York Vanilla: Why thank you!

i love athrun: Uh, OK, I'll do a new chapter.

Kitsune Klepto: Don't worry, Inuyasha will be in this. I am trying to work all of our little friends into this story, its just, Sesshy needs to get out first so we can find them!

JJ: Hey, ME TOO! Glad you like the story, thanks!

Nikkler: the ending was OK, really? I'm glad you liked it. Like I said, I'll try to keep them all kind of long from now on. I did my best to get Inuyasha in there as smoothly and as accurately as I could. Now lets just see if I can keep it up! And to think, I considered not making this a crossover!

This was going to be the really exciting chapter, but I ran out of time so the next one will be the action-packed story with lots of fighting and maybe a jailbreak or three! For all of you people worried about this, yes, Inuyasha and the others will make it into the story. It's just that right now the only one who knows the whole story (and the whole truth behind the stories, hint, hint) is Sesshomaru and he is a little indisposed at the moment. Believe it or not, this story is not even close to being over. I plan on trying to get the wolves to paradise and eventually back off on the Inuyasha stuff a little, its just that these early chapters are setting up for the rest of the story. Speaking of which, here it is!

Chapter 6: The Castle in the Surf

Silence filled the dungeon as Toboe, Luna, and Sesshomaru all feigned sleep, each knowing better than to believe any of the others were asleep. Finally, Toboe cut the act short, unused to the silence and not liking it one bit.

"I know! Lets talk about how we wound up down here!" he said with his usual enthusiasm.

"Well, if that is not a cheerful subject," Sesshomaru teased. Toboe's smile vanished and he cast his eyes to the ground.

"Guess you're right," he whimpered. Silence filled the room once more.

"The Lunar flower," Luna whispered.

"What?" asked Toboe.

"The Lunar flower, the one my sister has. That is why the Nobles took me. I don't know why, but that flower is special. Aurora, my sister, always says it is our duty to protect that flower, no matter what. One day the Noble's forces cornered me in an alley, demanding I tell them where my sister and the flower were. I refused to tell them, so they took me away. I've been here ever since, praying for my sister to come find me, but half afraid that I am the bait in some horrible trap." No one spoke for a moment as Luna's words sank in.

"Wait, did you say you have a lunar flower!" Toboe gasped. Luna giggled.

"Yes. It is old and pressed in a book. That is all I know about it." Again, silence.

"I don't remember actually getting caught. I just remember my friends and I were passing through this city. You see, we're on a quest to find Paradise..."

"Paradise?" Sesshomaru interrupted.

"Yes, Paradise. All wolves look for it at some point, and the lunar flowers guide the way to Paradise. Anyway, my friends and I were just passing through when the Noble's forces started chasing us down, we hadn't done anything! We just stole a little food to get us by. Anyway, they started shooting at us. One of their shots grazed my leg and I fell, making it worse. I've never been in pain like that before in my life, it hurt so bad. I couldn't run anymore and I fell. My friend, Tsume, carried me until we reached a hiding place. That is when things start getting fuzzy. In the end, I remember Tsume throwing me over his shoulder and running out of the hiding place, but then I guess I passed out."

"Poor thing," Luna cooed.

"What about you, Sesshomaru? How did you get here?" Toboe asked.

"That is a very long story a-"

"That's OK, it's not like we're leaving anytime soon!" Toboe interrupted.

"And one I would rather not tell," Sesshomaru finished.

"Please, Sesshomaru, tell us your story. It will take our minds off the fact that we are down here for a little while," Luna begged.

"Very well, I will tell you how this Sesshomaru became a prisoner in his own castle..."

Aurora lead the way into the center of the city to the lake positioned there. Kiba walked beside her as they quietly discussed their next plan of action. Mizu was shamelessly flirting with Cheza a few steps behind them. Kiba kept looking back every once in a while to make sure Mizu was not taking it too far. Mizu obviously thought he was being charming, Cheza obviously just found him confusing. Behind them Hige and Manch were chatting away like they were old friends while Blue just listened and occasionally shook her head. Tsume brought up the rear by himself, assuming no one knew just how much pain he was in and that he was using the walls to keep himself standing. Every once in a while Kiba would look back there to make sure Tsume was still there and preferably moving, then gave the gray wolf his desired privacy.

"There, you can see it through the break in the buildings," Aurora announced. It was beautiful. The sun and moon warred for dominance over the lake, the sun rising in the East and the moon setting in the West. Dark and light met in the center of the lake, creating a marbled effect.

"Whoa," Hige breathed. Everyone was quiet for a moment, looking at the lake.

"Um, how are we supposed to find it?" asked Blue.

"Supposing it's here, that is," Mizu pointed out.

"Well, we know it's not on the bank," said Aurora.

"How do we know that?" Hige asked.

"Well, the city is built all the way to the very edge of the lake and all of the buildings are fairly modern," Aurora explained.

"Then where is it?" Tsume asked.

"In the middle of the lake," said Kiba as though this was the most obvious answer ever.

"How do we get there, swim?" Blue asked.

"No, we rent a boat," Manch answered.

"Where do we get a boat from?" asked Tsume.

"Dunno, lets start looking!" was Aurora's reply.

(Sesshomaru's Tale)

"I did not see the immediate danger until it was too late. Something was horribly wrong in the castle. I could feel an extraordinary power emitting from the lowest dungeons. I went down to check on my prisoner there. It was not until I reached the sealed door that I realized my mistake. Someone, or something, was invading my home and the lower dungeons were by no means the best place to be. I returned to the main floor, only to find everything just as I had left it, but something was still wrong.

"I ran upstairs to check on the miko and found her unharmed. As I descended the stairs an explosion shook the castle. Everything was in mass chaos, walls collapsing, people running and screaming, and gunshots fired by intruders. The castle's defenses had fallen, all that was left was a handful of demon soldiers and myself. We all gathered together at the foot of the grand stairs. No commands were spoken, none were needed. We kill or be killed, the castle would not be taken. We stood, awaiting the attack, not moving until they were in firing range. The fury of at least fifty demons was unleashed upon these invaders, but they were ready for us, _they were ready!_ I watched as my men gave their all and were killed for it. We still had the stairs, they had not won until they took the stairs.

"I was shot with something, I could not move. That was when it ended. Enemy forces overran my castle and I was brought before the Noble. She had set up my dinning hall as her throne room. She asked for the miko and the monster, I refused to give her either. She said I could sit here until I decided to tell her what she wanted. I have been here ever since. I do not know if al of my soldiers were killed, if my servant survived or the fate of my human ward.

"This I don know, that _thing_ upstairs has awoken the ghosts in the closet..."

"Well, you don't get much more in the middle of a lake then this," said Hige.

"Yeah, now what?" asked Tsume.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Manch yelled at Aurora. She had stood up in the front of the boat and seemed to be glowing. Her pupils had vanished as the irises of her eyes consumed them, giving appearance of two full moons. Aurora's mouth moved slightly and a low song like Cheza's seemed to fill the air. Great waves began to form on the lake, rocking the poor little boat, but Aurora did not even seem to sway. The boat was pushed back as the waters began to boil. A glow emitted from the bottom of the lake and an object seemed to appear on the surface.

Before they knew it, the wolves were looking at a grand castle, complete with towers, great windows, walls, gates, and guard towers.

"Welcome to the stronghold of the Western Lands," said Aurora grimly.

'Don't worry, Toboe. You'll be out of there in no time. I promise,' thought Tsume.

"Lets go," Kiba ordered. The wolves left the boat and vanished into the mist encompassing the castle.

Well, I hope you liked it, but I'll never know if you don't review! And believe me, I want to know!


	7. The Blood before Dawn

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha.

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! I don't know if you people read this stuff I put at the beginning and end of my stories or not, but oh well, it gives me peace of mind knowing I tell you all of this stuff anyway. Anyways, this is a long one, seven pages on Microsoft Word w/o the notes at the beginning and end! Oh, sorry I did not update yesterday, but I did not finish writing the chapter until 11:00 and was in no mood to type it up. Oh well, it's better now then it was last night! I'm really excited about this chapter and am very proud of it. I hope you like it. Here are my responses to your reviews:

i love athrun: OK...

NYV: Thanks, I will.

Kirstin: Thanks! Plus, I know the feeling with school and all. I'm afraid this story has taken somewhat of a back seat to a big report I have due next week, EEP!

Nikkler: My poor little heart! I'm glad you still like it, I guess I'll forgive you. See, it's reviews like the ones you write that make me look back on my story and cry because I don't think it'll be good enough, and think I'm not worthy of all the readers I have. But that's good, because it gives me a good kick in the rear to do better! Thanks!

Thank you so much for the reviews, please, keep them coming!

Now, for the reason you review me, THE STORY!

7: The Blood before Dawn

A slight echo reverberated off the dark stone walls inside the castle. The wolves had had a hard time getting in past the castle's defenses and were more than a little concerned about how they were going to get out. They crept through the halls as quietly as they could, wincing at the loud crash when Hige ran into a statue, tipping it over so it leaned against the wall. They examined the damage and decided to leave it precariously balanced like it was. It did not look like it would fall now, but eventually and then the crash might help them. The smell of old blood and sweat filled the place and a feeling of raw energy made the hair on the back of the wolves neck stand up and Cheza glow.

The group soon came across a grand staircase. The smell of blood was greatest here and the energy levels rose.

"Such sadness, you are all so sad," Cheza cooed as she fondled the great potted plants on either side of the staircase. Blue stepped onto the first step and shivered and goose-bumps formed on her body as a cold blast of air hit her.

"Ghosts..."

"What happened here? What created this god-forsaken place?" asked Tsume who was looking rather pale. Manch noticed this and decided to keep an eye on the young man.

"It was conquered. This chill, this darkness, the energy, it must have all been created by the Nobles when they came here," said Kiba. Aurora started to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Hige called out.

"Shh! I sincerely doubt that what we want is upstairs, if they have prisoners they'd be in a dungeon. When this castle was built the dungeons would most likely have been kept downstairs. That's where I'm going," Aurora whispered before turning and heading down a dark hallway. Cheza skipped after her with Kiba close behind. Tsume followed next, trying to hide his limp and not wince. He wasn't fooling anybody. The rest followed, keeping an eye on Tsume. Hige was the first to notice the smell of fresh blood mixing with the old. He shot a worried glance at Manch who returned the glance. They reached a silent agreement to let Tsume speak up first.

Up to this point, the wolves had actually seen very little in the way of security inside the castle. Suddenly they heard the metallic footsteps of a Noble's patrol, searching the area. They had no where to go to, nowhere to hide.

"Up there," Tsume suggested, pointing to a ledge under the high-arched ceiling.

"That's quite a jump, even for us," Mizu pointed out.

"I wasn't aware we had a choice!" Tsume snapped. Kiba grabbed Cheza and jumped, bouncing from one wall to the other until he made it to the ledge. Hige ran forward and grabbed Tsume's arm.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Tsume snarled as he tore his arm out of Hige's grasp.

"I'm trying to help you! You're bleeding and can barley walk! There is no way you can jump up there on your own!"

"I'm fine, I don't need your help or anyone else's!" By this time the rest had gotten to the ledge and were watching the altercation from above. Hige glared at Tsume and jumped. As Hige's feet left the ground Tsume could have sworn he heard Hige say, "I wasn't doing it for you, I was doing it for Toboe..."

Tsume eyed the jump and realized there was a good chance he couldn't make it. The slow and heavy steps of the guards had gotten very close, making the ledge Tsume's only option. He jumped for the wall like everyone else before him had done. He hit the wall and collapsed on the floor, pain shooting through his body and causing him to cry out. Tsume weakly looked up to see Cheza's large eyes looking down at him in fear for his life. His bleeding was worse than before and as his eyes drifted over to lock onto Aurora's, he knew he wasn't going to make it. At least, not if he tried to bounce off the walls.

'If I make a straight jump, I might make it in time.' Tsume's loss of blood was starting to affect him. He felt dizzy, lightheaded and weak. He gathered what little energy he had left and jumped. The pain grew as his body cried out against his actions. Tsume stretched out his arms, feeling as though he was reaching for the star. He was going to miss it by so little! As the tips of Tsume's fingers grazed the edge of the ledge, Aurora lunged forward and grabbed his wrists.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as Tsume slipped out of her grasp. Tsume fell to the ground below just as the guards came around the corner. Tsume attempted a growl and passed out.

"Someone's coming," Sesshomaru warned. Footsteps were heard coming down the hallway towards the group of cells. Toboe put his face against the bars, trying to see who was coming. All he could see were guards.

"Uh-oh," he whispered. The soldiers proceeded past his cell. In the center of the group of soldiers was a female Noble. She was tall and very lovely. Her hair was long and blond and she wore a cloak that hid her body. She looked straight ahead and turned to face a cell further down the row.

"Sesshomaru, it has been two hundred years now, are you ready to talk to us yet?" she asked.

"No, and I dare say you will not kill me for my silence either," was his response. The Noble laughed a high, bell-like laugh that would have been enchanting from any other woman.

"What makes you so sure about that? You are useless to me if you will not talk and a waist of supplies."

"The fact that the castle's defenses have been penetrated and you woke up the damned," Sesshomaru answered with a chill in his voice that could have frozen ice. The Noble glared daggers at the chained man.

"Fine. So I can't kill you. However, you will talk, one way—or another," she said, looking pointedly towards Toboe's cell.

'Don't worry, if she tries to hurt you, just scream,' said Sesshomaru's voice in Toboe's mind. Toboe was shocked to hear the man's voice in his mind, especially when it was obvious no one else could. 'Who are you?' he thought, wondering if Sesshomaru could hear him.

'Later,' was the response he got. Three of the guards broke away from the rest and approached Toboe's cell. One opened the door then two walked in and grabbed Toboe, restraining him. The third pulled out a machine the likes of which Toboe had never seen before. It looked very complicated with a long needle at one end. The guard slowly eased the needle into Toboe's side and pushed a button. Toboe could not tell what was supposed to happen, but it tickled. He remembered what Sesshomaru had told him just moments before and screamed. The Noble watched Toboe "suffer" for a moment then turned to see Sesshomaru's reaction. Obviously, she did not like what she saw.

"ENOUGH! It does not matter that you refuse to help us! The intruder will be eliminated and we will learn to control Naraku and we will find the miko without you! As for right now, we still have the girl. Bring her," she ordered. The guards left Toboe and went for Luna. She screamed as they grabbed her out of her cell and dragged her away into the darkness.

"Perfect," said Sesshomaru in a cold yet victorious voice.

"What's perfect? They took Luna!" Toboe cried, tears streaming down his face.

"She said 'the intruder,'"

"So? Isn't that a bad thing that our only chance for escape has been caught?"

"There are eight."

The guards approached Tsume cautiously, as though they were afraid he might explode. Meanwhile, Mizu was on the move up above while the rest positioned themselves, waiting for his signal. Mizu crept down the hall along the ledge and found a power box.

'Please let their damn radios be powered from here...' he thought desperately. No such luck. But, the power to the wing they were in was and a radio of some sort was. 'Well, can't do any harm, lets start disconnecting wires!" Mizu started to pull and cut all of the wires he could get a hold of, managing to only get shocked once. He beamed with pride as the hall was bathed in darkness and the guards started to murmur. His little victory did not last long once the generators kicked in.

"Well, the lights run by the generators are duller then the ones before, if that's possible," he said quietly to himself bitterly.

Meanwhile, the guards had finally approached Tsume and had injected him with something. The rest of the wolves were chomping at the bit wanting to get down there and save their friend. That was when there was a momentary blackout. Kiba used the opportunity to strike some fear into the guards by swooping down and killing one at the back of the group.

"That's what happens when you lag behind," he whispered.

The backup lights came on and Kiba was once again on the ledge. The guards were more concerned as to why the lights went out in the first place to notice their dead comrade right away. When they did, all hell broke loose on the ground.

The wolves were sitting on the ledge, laughing quietly at the sight of the guards trying to find Kiba who had already taken out two more in the commotion.

"Well he sure is enjoying himself," Mizu commented, making Blue and Aurora jump. "Sorry I couldn't kill all of the lights or the radios, but in order to do that we have to find the generator. I did manage however to kill the radios in the building, so only the ones in their suits should work unless those are on the generator as well," Mizu reported.

"Good work. Come on, lets join Kiba," Manch snarled, ready to fight. The wolves jumped down onto the guards while dropping the human guises, killing anyone they could get to. Cheza went down the hall a ways in order to jump down safely. She then ran over and snuck into the fray, searching for Tsume. Once she found him, she tried to drag him away, only to find he was too heavy.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" one of the guards asked, grabbing Cheza. A few others spotted this somewhat safer confrontation and joined in, one grabbing Cheza and another picking up Tsume.

"KIBA!" Cheza shouted, trying to get the wolf's attention. Kiba saw the guards with Cheza and Tsume, knowing he would not be able to get to them in time. He looked around frantically, only to discover the other wolves were all locked in life or death battles with the guards with no relief in sight. They would not be able to get to the quickly retreating flower maiden and wolf.

"Don't worry, Cheza! We'll find you!" Kiba called out. Cheza smiled, trusting the wolf so completely it made his heart skip a beat. The guards then bore Cheza and Tsume through a door, vanishing from sight.

About twenty minutes later, the battle was over. The hall was littered with the bodies of guards and blood. The wolves had escaped mostly unscathed, save for a few bumps and bruises.

"Oh no, don't tell me I hear what I think I hear," whined Hige, referring to the sound of echoing footsteps quickly approaching.

"Yep, those would be reinforcements," replied Manch.

"Come on, lets get out of here," said Aurora. The group ran off led by Kiba through the door and down the stairs that Kiba had seen the guards leave with Cheza and Tsume through. They came to a split in the passage, both directions looking very uninviting.

"Hige, do you smell anything?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah, old and mildew and not much else. Yuck!"

"What do we do now?" Blue asked.

"Should we split up?" Manch suggested.

"We already are split up! I don't think we should risk splitting up. Give those blasted guards something to do," said Mizu.

"Then, we just pick a way and go. Come on, lets go left," said Kiba, already going that way. The wolves ran down the chosen stairs, going deeper into the gloom.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you hear something?"

"Yes."

"What is it? Can you tell?"

"They're coming..."

"Hey, is that a light up ahead?" asked Hige.

"Yeah, come on!" shouted Aurora, eager to see what awaited them.

"The light is coming from under that door," Blue pointed to the door just ahead at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey, I think I smell Toboe!" Hige exclaimed.

"Come on then!" Blue shouted. The wolves rushed forward and opened the door. They were in a dark and dreary dungeon that contained only two occupants.

"Kiba! Hige! Blue! Where's Cheza and Tsume?" asked Toboe.

"Gone, the guards got them. Are you OK, Runt?" said Hige.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Gone? Are they all right? Where did they take them?"

"We don't know. The guards took them through a door and we followed, but must have taken the wrong path to find them," Kiba informed him.

"They must have taken your friends down to the lower dungeons then," Sesshomaru said. The others jumped, not fully realizing until that moment that he was there.

"Um, yeah, lets, lets get you guys out of there," said Hige, pulling a key he lifted off one of the guards in the fight upstairs. In a matter of seconds both Toboe and Sesshomaru were free.

Toboe gasped when he saw Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru was tall and naturally pale with forbidding golden eyes, two purple stripes on each side of his face, a purple crescent moon on his forehead, and long silver hair that reached his thighs. He wore white baggy pants, a white gi with red on the left shoulder, a large, white boa on his right shoulder, black boots and a yellow belt around his waist. He wore armor that covered his chest. He looked around at all of the faces surrounding him.

'Toboe?' rang Sesshomaru's voice in Toboe's head. Toboe smiled and introduced everyone he knew. Then Kiba introduced the others.

"Come on, lets get out of here and find Tsume and Cheza!" said Hige.

"And Luna!" said Toboe. Aurora spun around to face the pup.

"Luna? Did you just say Luna?" she asked desperately.

"Yeah, they came and took her away just a little while ago." Toboe informed her.

"Then lets go get them!" Aurora shouted.

"I'm afraid it is not that easy," said Sesshomaru. You see, if our comrades were indeed taken to the lower dungeons, that means they are in grave danger of being offered up to Naraku in order to pacify him until they find Kagome. You see, they woke up Naraku's dormant spirit without fully understanding what they had done until it was too late. Now they must find Kagome to rectify that mistake before he consumes all of our souls..."

Well, that's this chapter. Hope you liked it! I'm so sorry! I was planning on them getting out of there this chapter, but instead they'll be in the castle even longer! I'm afraid my description of Sesshomaru did not do him justice. If you go to or type his name into Google you can find some very nice pictures of him. If you want to know why I say that thing on his shoulder is a boa and not his tail, it is because on the ep. where he meets Rin you can see both ends of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it, now please, review me! Love ya all!


	8. Afraid of the Dark

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha

First of all, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update! Between this report and me starting to get sick nothing is going as planned. I don't even have this chapter finished yet, but figured it would be better to give you something than to let you think I gave up on it. Secondly, thank you so much for all of the reviews! I feel so loved! I finally got a negative review and unfortunately, I have to agree with it. My OCs are starting to get in the way, so unless someone would like to plead for them to stay, I will be getting rid of them quickly and humanly. I think Luna might stay because I am starting to get attached to her. We'll see. What do you lot think?

Anyway, here are the responses to your reviews:

i love athrun: OK…. This is getting old. Thanks for reviewing though!

Nikkler: OK, can do. Why Kagome is still alive is one of the few things I do know, and you'll just have to wait to see why, little meanie.

NYV: Thanks!

Kagome1015: Awesome! Another fan of the shows and my fic! I'm dying to get Kags into the picture, but at some point I have to decide what to do with her! I know she is going to be part of the romance aspect of the story, but with who will depend on what happened to her husband which is also still undecided.

Mesa Chan: If you are still reading this, which I doubt from your review, I know what you mean. The OCs that I made are starting to bug me because I have to find something to do with them and they are just not the people I started out creating. I am pretty sure they will be leaving, and soon unless I get some please in their cause. Thanks for the review and your thoughts and opinions. I am sorry to have lost a reader.

Odd-12345: Hmmmm, odd name (teehee! Like you haven't heard that before.) Never fear! Inuyasha will be here! Thanks!

Xaraya: Thanks! I-I (sniff) don't know what to say! (sniff) Thank you so much! What a confidence booster!

Gemini14: Sorry, I like writing cliffhangers. It keeps people coming back. Thank you!

XloneWolfX: lol, Thanks, I will!

OK, to make things easier on me: "…" talking '…' thoughts … Sesshomaru communicating telepathically with someone

OK, now, onto the story…

Chapter 8: Afraid of the Dark

A chill ran through Tsume's body as the outside world slowly returned to him. He had no idea where he was but knew two things about it: it was cold and stank. Plus, something didn't feel right. He couldn't quite place what it was, but something was not right. He tried to open his eyes only to discover they already were.

"What the hell?" he asked, marveling at the darkness he was in. Fear crept into his heart. He could not see, could not smell, and there was nothing to hear.

"I don't like this, I don't like it at all," Tsume snarled.

"Neither do I," said a small, female voice. Tsume jumped, startled by the sound.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"I am," she said.

"Who's I am?" Tsume asked, very annoyed.

"Luna," she said.

"Where are you?"

"Over here, follow my voice." Here, Luna began to sing. Tsume stood stock still for a moment, listening to the song and voice so like Cheza's. He then shook himself and began to follow the voice, arms out and searching for the girl. The going was slow because Tsume was uncertain of his footing. His hand eventually came into contact with another and he inched forward and knelt down and scooted forward until his knees were touching hers.

"I still can't smell you, the stench is too strong," said Tsume.

"I can't smell you either, but I do feel safer now," said Luna, quite shyly. Tsume marveled at how like Toboe she seemed, and, even though he loathed to admit it, even to himself, Tsume did feel somewhat safer knowing someone else was there with him.

"Who are you and how do I know I can trust you?" Tsume snapped.

"Well, I already told you. I am Luna. As for trusting me, you don't know that you can trust me any better than I know I can trust you."

"Are you human?"

"Are you?" The question hung in the air, mixing with Luna's statement about trust. They couldn't trust each other, so the question was unfair. The question hung there in the air between them for a moment, then died.

Kiba, Blue, Toboe, Sesshomaru, Hige, Aurora, Mizu and Manch all crept up the stairs to the door. Toboe was terrified. A large rat scurried across his foot, making him jump and grab Hige's arm.

"Hey, Runt, what are you doing? It's only a rat," Hige teased, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. It wasn't Toboe's fault they were in this mess. Oh, wait…

Kiba sniffed the air for any signs of trouble then looked back at his pack. He noticed that Toboe seemed a little dazed as he bickered with Hige. Kiba's gaze drifted to Sesshomaru. His gaze was cold and uncaring but his aura screamed power. A shiver ran up Kiba's spine as Sesshomaru turned and locked eyes with Kiba.

"Guards!" Blue warned as their reverberating footsteps filled the air.

"We'll have to stand and fight here," said Hige.

"We're doomed," Mizu gulped.

"If we die, we die with pride," said Kiba as he took on a fighting stance.

"Get out of the way, wolf," Sesshomaru ordered in a calm and cold voice. Sesshomaru stood in front of Kiba as though he was waiting to meet someone like a lord or lady of the court.

'An angel,' Toboe thought as he looked at the demon from the back of the group. 'Those demons who died for him, who fought by his side at the staircase protecting the castle, I think I understand why they did…'

The guards came into view on the staircase and stopped dead in their tracks. The stairs were only wide enough for two to come down at a time. The first two just stood there for a moment, apparently staring at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru just stood there looking at them uncaring. He slowly raised his right arm, pulling it across his body as though he was going to slap someone. The guards immediately raised their guns and fired. Unfortunately for them, the guards were not fast enough. Sesshomaru's feet left the ground and he literally flew forward. When he got to the guards he turned his hand so his palm was facing the two guards and slashed them with his claws. Their bodies hit the ground with a sickening thud. Sesshomaru turned to the other guards, hand poised by his left shoulder and dripping with blood. Someone screamed and all of the guards turned to flee. Sesshomaru sliced his hand through the air, an energy whip forming at the end of his index and middle finger, taking out three guards in the process. He flew up a few more stairs and tore apart guards as he went until there was only one left. This one he held in his right hand as he raised his left hand, dripping poison, to his throat. The man's scream was cut short as Sesshomaru quickly dealt with him.

The wolves stood where they had been left for a moment before going to join this Angel of Death. They found him standing by the corps of his final victim looking down the stairs at them emotionlessly. Toboe glanced at the body and became sick when he saw what the poison had done, and was still doing to the man's neck. Toboe then looked up at Sesshomaru.

'How can he look so calm, so uncaring after what he's done? Such a violent way to go, yet he doesn't seem to even care…'

It's because I don't. They are worthless humans, nothing more. You would do well to learn that. Toboe jumped when he heard this, unaware that Sesshomaru had been listenig.

'Like Tsume,' he thought. The pack scurried up the rest of the stairs and stood for a moment outside the passage to the lower dungeons. A draft drifted up the stairs, raising goose-bumps on the skin of the wolves. Blue noticed Sesshomaru looked a little paler then before.

"That's where they are waiting," said Sesshomaru.

"Do we have to go down there?" whined Hige.

"Yes," replied Kiba. He then led the way down into the darkness.

The feeling that something wasn't right and that they were in mortal danger grew stronger in Tsume with each passing moment. By this point Luna had crawled onto Tsume's lap and clung to him desperately. She obviously felt the growing danger as well. Tsume tried once again to catch a whiff of Luna in an attempt to learn more about her. Unfortunately, even at this close proximity his efforts were in vain.

Warning signals flashed in Tsume's mind mere seconds before something brushed up against his back. Tsume jumped up, dropping Luna and spun around trying to find what had touched him.

"TSUME!" Luna shrieked. Tsume dropped to the ground and groped around until he found what he could only assume to be her leg. He tried to pull her to him only to discover a force pulling her in the opposite direction. Tsume grit his teeth, bit out a "Sorry," sat on Luna's foot and started to run his hands up her leg. By the time he reached her stomach, Tsume could feel both himself and Luna being drug across the floor. Tsume moved up and straddled her legs and forced all of his weight down, but it was not enough. They were still moving, just at a slightly slower pace. Tsume realized Luna's arms were streched above her head and concluded that whatever it was had a hold of her arms. Tsume jumped forward to where he guessed her wrists to be and found cold and clammy tentacles wrapped around her wrists. Tsume took out his knife and slashed at them, successfully freeing Luna. There was a hideous, high-pitched shriek that tore through the air and a cold breeze blew by. It seemed they were temporarily out of danger.

"Th-th-thank you," Luna stammered.

'I can't believe I'm doing this,' Tsume thought as he hugged her close and told her that it was all right.

"Wha-wha-what was that thing?" Luna asked, burying herself in Tsume's chest.

"I don't know, but it wont get you, I promise," Tsume whispered. He was glad he had someone to protect, even if he knew he could not last long against whatever that thing was.

The stairs leading down into the lower dungeons were covered in a wet and slippery slime. Kiba slipped on a step and fell down three steps. He rolled his eyes as he heard snickers behind him.

"Perhaps I should lead the way, I do know where we are going after all," Sesshomaru suggested, floating past Kiba.

"What a jerk," Hige whispered to Manch.

"Don't say that, he's just trying to help," Toboe pleaded.

"Huh, yeah right," mumbled Mizu.

"He's dangerous, Toboe," Blue kindly warned.

"He is not!" Toboe yelled. He ran down the stairs, flying past the others and falling occasionally in his attempt to catch up to catch up with Sesshomaru.

'Why am I acting like this? Why do I care? Everything they said is true, I know that, but I can't help but care. Why?" Toboe thought desperately as he wiped the tears from his face. He rounded a bend in the stairs and saw Sesshomaru. He was standing on the staircase, waiting for Toboe. What little light the tunnel offered seemed to collect within him and make him glow. 'Angel, Angel of Death…'

"You are crying," Sesshomaru said bluntly.

"No I'm not," said Toboe, trying to hide it.

"You were. You shouldn't though. They are right. I don't like people as a rule and I do not try to conceal it. And, I am dangerous. I do not kill excessively, but I do what I must to survive, and survive comfortably." Toboe stared at the glowing demon for a moment, then smiled. He brushed past Sesshomaru and continued on down the stairs.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked. Toboe turned back to him and smiled even more.

"It's just that, I have a mission now. I will make you like people. You just wait and see…"

"The flower maiden, I can't believe we have her. Now, let us see if she can sense the miko, or become food for our darling pet, Naraku…"

Brief note:Well, here by popular demand (OK, two people wanted it), Chapter 8 with theTsume and Luna bit.Thank you once again for reading and now please take the time to review. It keeps me happy and keeps the creative juices flowing. I want to know what you think, so please, let me know! (Still frightened of getting flamed for that, Oh well, I trust you guys. I think.) Thanks!!!


	9. Ice and Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha.

I had this ready to update yesterday,but the site to upload stories was disabled to make repairs to the site in general. Now then, this was going to be a great chapter with all sorts of neat things, but it got cut short. Istarted to feel guilty I hadn't updated yet and was very tired and battling the dreaded WRITERS BLOCK,soI decided to put up what I had. I will probably update tomorrow though.After this I promise the story will get better and become faster paced, PROMISE!! Also, do I need to change the rating? What do you think? I had two requests for the Tsume/Luna bit, so that has been added to the last chapter so don't forget to read that and tell me what you think! It's really short, but it's there.

Just a note to any readers who do not know a whole lot about Inuyasha, Rin was Sesshomaru's human ward. He brought her back to life with the tenseiga after she was killed by wolves and took care of her after that. She was an adorable girl who had a big grin that showed off all of her missing teeth (she's like 6 or 7) and big brown eyes.

Thank you for the reviews! Here are the responses…

Hekele Masuyo: lol! Thanks so much! Luna and Aurora? Ok, we'll see. Hmmmmm… Origionally Tsume and Aurora were supposed to end up a couple and Toboe and Luna were going to be another, but you can see how that turned out. Thank you! Happy endings are nice, so maybe I will keep Aurora as well. Thanks again!

Anima Cutie: Thanks!

Kagome 1015: Kagome had a husband in my story. I know who it was sense it is a WR story, but the question now is, what happened to him and what happens now. So basically I'm torn between Kouga (guess who he was! And disappeared from all records too, I really should figure out what happened to him) or Inuyasha. I was considering Tsume for a minute or two. Ya know, maybe Luna's too young… I'd appreciate some opinions on the matter!

Nikkler: Thanks, I've missed 2 days of school because of this flu thing. That's what I was thinking, just have everyone get out of the castle and then go their separate ways. We'll see. Thanks for liking it! I feel so loved and always know I can count on at least your review. Thanks!

i love athrun: Thanks.

XLoneWolfX: Another request for the Tsume Luna bit in. Okee Dokee. I'm sorry my OCs are confusing! It's so hard to find something to do with them! Thank you!

blueeyedblackwolf: LOL! I'm glad you liked my story! You are a hoot! I'm afraid I can't relate to the sister thing, only child, and I can't wait to hear what else you have to say about my stories! Thanks!

Jimsessouni-Kudokenshin: Thanks a lot!

Thanks for these reviews! I always look forward to them and check every day! Plus, I listen to what you have to say, so if you have questions, comments, or suggestions,please feel free to review me and tell me! Now, onto the story.

(Last time I'm putting this, you are inteligent readers, you can figure it out on your own) "speach", 'thought', telepathic communication

Chapter 9: Ice and Shadows

Two burning torches were placed like fiery sentinels on either side of the wooden door at the bottom of the stairs. A great dragon surrounded by chains and dog demons was crudely and simply carved into the door, the dancing lights of the torches making the carvings seem to move. Toboe was amazed by this little optical illusion and just stood there staring at the door with his mouth hanging open. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at the pup and watched for the others.

'He is so much like Rin. I wonder whatever became of her? She would be dead by now of course, but, what happened to her between sending her to play with Jaken and her death? Perhaps she escaped. I- I would like to think that. I would like to think that she escaped and married some young man just as full of life as she. Perhaps, someday I will know the truth, but until then, I think I do.' That was when Sesshomaru felt something he had not felt in centuries, not since his mother had died. He reached up and brushed away the offending tears he found slipping down his face. He turned around and found Toboe was no longer watching the door, but rather, he had his large brown, soulful eyes trained on the demon lord. Toboe smiled a big toothy grin and went back to watching the door.

'Rin…'

"You know, sometimes it helps to talk about what's bothering you," Toboe hinted. Sesshomaru remained silent. "It always helps me," Toboe continued hopefully. Again, silence. "May-"

"I do not wish to share with you my problems," Sesshomaru snapped. Toboe's shoulders slumped and face fell. Then he screwed up his face in an angry pout and crossed his arms.

"I was only trying to help," he muttered, turning back to the door.

It was at this time that Kiba and the others caught up.

"Is this it?" asked Hige. Manch walked up to the door and ran his hand along it, curving his fingers around the curves and tracing his nails along the grooves. He was fascinated by the complex simplicity of it all.

"Yes, that door leads into the lower dungeons," Sesshomaru answered Hige.

"Then what are we doing standing out here? Let's go!" said Aurora impatiently as she pushed her way to the door.

"Before we go in there you should be warned. There are many things locked away in there, things my father locked in there that I am sure are still alive that would be more than willing to devour anything that happened into its cell. You have been warned, now let's go."

"Cheza, do you feel it? Can you feel the jewel?" the Noble asked Cheza.

"This one does not sense anything."

"Fine. We have been at this for over an hour and you cannot sense it. I don't know why I thought you might be useful. Simple enough though. Guards! Feed her to Nauraku…"

The wolves and Sesshomaru quickly and quietly slipped through the door into the lower dungeons. They found themselves in a long, dark corridor with doors scattered along the way. On either side of each door hung a torch, yet the further down the hall they got the darker the torches seemed to be, until the hall was consumed by the darkness.

"Please tell me the cell we're looking for isn't down there," Hige whined, not liking the pitch black at all. Sesshomaru didn't say a word, just kept walking. Mizu and Manch looked at each other then started to hum the funeral march. Aurora walked up between them and elbowed them both and kept walking. Kiba took down a torch from next to the first door, realizing that even with eyes like theirs, the wolves were going to have difficulty seeing up ahead. Whatever was in the first cell obviously disliked the removal of its torch. The door began to rattle and shake, grunts, roars and growls could be heard emitting from the cell. Kiba stared at the door, uncertain as to what to do. Toboe pressed himself into the opposite wall and stared in sheer terror at the door. He just noticed the wood on the door beginning to splinter when there was a white blur and Sesshomaru stood in front of the door. He raised his hand inches away from the door, never even flinching when the creature inside hit the door particularly hard. A blue marbled glow emanated from Sesshomaru's fingers and covered the door.

"What's in there?" Hige asked.

"I do not know," said Sesshomaru.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" he exclaimed.

"My father locked it in there."

"Um, how long ago was that?" asked Manch. Sesshomaru was silent a moment with a blank look on his face.

"About 700 years ago." All jaws hit the ground.

"Come on, lets get moving," said Kiba.

The pack slowly walked down the hall towards the darkness. The air itself seemed to become oppressive, blistering hot in one place and feezing cold the next.

"Is it me, or is that torch getting dimmer?" Blue asked. Everyone turned to the torch. The flame was indeed smaller and somewhat dimmer.

"Is it going to go out?" Tobeo asked meekly, eyes the size of dinner plates.

"I bet it is," said Aurora. Mizu sneaked up behind the poor, frightened pup and grabbed his sides, making him jump and yelp. Mizu laughed until he felt the death-glares being sent his way. He gulped and slunk away to the edge of the group.

"Wolves can see in the dark," Kiba reminded Toboe.

"Yeah, but that dark?" Toboe asked. No one answered, successfully answering his question and causing the poor pup to whimper. They all looked down the hallway.

"Come on," said Kiba again, getting tired of the constant stopping and starting.

"What could survive in this darkness?" asked Aurora.

"Monsters."

"Tsume, is that you?"

"Is what me?"

"Is that you breathing down my neck?"

"Breathing down your neck? No, I don't think so."

"Then, what is?" Tsume tightened his grip on Luna and braced himself for her to be ripped from his grasp. Whatever it was though did not go for Luna however, but Tsume. A cold, slimey tentacle wrapped itself around his neck and what felt like knives were driven into his back. Tsume could feel the strength being drained from his body. His stomach started to churn as though he was dizzy and his head throbbed. Luna grabbed the tentacles around Tsume's neck and sang her song. Before Tsume slipped into a state of unconsciousness, he thought he could see the faintest glow coming from where Luna's hand were and smell the slightest hint of Lunar flowers. Then Tsume's eyes slid closed and he succumbed to sleep.

The torch's light had been reduced to a candle's glow as the wolves stood behind Sesshomaru in front of a forbidding door at the end of the hall. This end of the hall was pitch black, save for the torch, and a crippling chill filled the air.

"Be careful. Behind this door lies Naraku's spirit. He will devour every soul he can get to until he is strong enough to conquer the world. If Luna and your friends were truly sent here, I doubt they are still alive. Do not get too excited. Now, stand back while I unseal the door," Sesshomaru warned. He then extended a single claw, dripping with poison, and ran it over the cracks of the door. The door slowly eased open and an even deeper darkness awaited them. The air warmed up slightly.

"This feeling of dread, is that Naraku?" asked Toboe, staring into the darkness.

"Yes. Come on, stay close," said Sesshomaru, stepping into the room.

"Hello? Is someone there?" asked a small voice in the darkness.

"Luna?!" Aurora asked the darkness.

"Aurora! Please, you must help him, I don't know what exactly happened and I can't see so I don't know what to do!" Luna implored of her big sister, desperate to help Tsume.

"Allow me," said Sesshomaru, stepping forward. For a moment nothing happened. Suddenly there was a burst of light emanating from the demon and flowed through the cell, illuminating the cell. The ceiling remained dark and forbidding, but what scared everyone was the sight in the middle of the room. There was Tsume with his head in Luna's lap and blood pooling around him.

I hope someone liked thischapter besides me.I know, it's very cheezy and it needs a lot of work. Instead of promising the next one will be better however, I will just promise to give you my best and may it be good. OK, now I need you to tell me some things. First, what do you think, second do you think I need to change the rating, what you think of the paragraph in chapter 8, and read my response to Kagome 1015's comment on Kagome's having a love interest and tell me what you think! I need some help in that department. And of course, as always I want any other questions, comments or suggestions you may have for me. Thank you so much, now please take the time to review, it will make me very happy. THANKS! Love you all!

-A naughty mouse


	10. From Shadow to Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha.

I was going to post this day before yesterday, but I wasn't done writing it until midnight (it was also going to be longer, but I was tired) so it wasn't ready to be posted until yesterday, but I couldn't update because of the website maintenance. Sorry! Good news, I don't have a lot to say, so this will be brief.

Thanks for the reviews! Here ya go:

Black Betty: Thank you, glad you like it.

Nikkler: Your review gave me a good chuckle early in the morning (if you can call 9:43 early). First off, I'm glad you liked the chappy! You don't think I need to up the rating? Good. I am secretly a lemon fan, but I doubt I could write a good one. Oh well. I have been thinking of adding some pure fluff chapters to the story, just to lighten the mood a little. I swear, it's getting depressing for this poor little romantic! Anyway, enough rambling. The paragraph in chapter 8 is the one where Luna is being dug away and Tsume jumps to the rescue. It's right before the last scene change. The paragraph is Tsume attempting to find the tentacle that has Luna (actually, I keep calling it a paragraph when really it equals out to about three sentences in the middle of an old paragraph). I am looking forward to any advice you can give me for Kagome, it is very much appreciated. Thank you as always for answering all of my questions and addressing my concerns, I really appreciate it. I always know I can count on you for a review! Thanks!

Tapeka: Thank you and yes, Inuyasha will be in the story.

JJ: Thanks! It is greatly appreciated.

Now then, with those addressed, on to the story!

Chapter 10: From Shadow to Light

"How are we going to get him out of here?" Manch asked, referring to the very bloody, still sleeping Tsume. "We can't just move him, we don't know the extent of his injuries."

"We don't have a choice. We're going to have to move him anyway," Kiba calmly responded.

"Um, guys, has anyone stopped to consider that _thing_ in here with us? And the fact we can't see anything, including Tsume, Luna or that _thing_?" Hige cried, more than slightly panicked. He was right though, the torch had been snuffed the moment it had been brought into the cell and Sesshomaru's light only lasted for a few moments, traveling the extent of the room before encountering the walls and vanishing.

"Yeah, and what's that smell?" Mizu asked.

"That smell is the smell of decay a little over 300 years old," said Sesshomaru.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and do that light thing again?" Mizu snapped, tired of Sesshomaru's "greater than thee" attitude. Sesshomaru glared at Mizu a moment.

"You would do well to watch your tongue if you with to live, wolf," said Sesshomaru in a dangerously calm voice.

Mizu was preparing to respond to this comment when Kiba warned, "Someone's coming!"

Everyone moved into what they presumed to be the center of the room, confident they would not be seen in the darkness even if it was not. They could hear the creak of the cell door opening followed by a soft thump as of someone small and light being thrown to the floor.

"Here ya go! Have fun with Naraku, Missy! Ha! Ha! Ha!" taunted a cruel voice from the door as it creaked shut again.

"Kiba?" came Cheza's soft, quiet voice.

"Cheza?! Is that you?"

"Yes, it- AAAA!" Cheza let loose a blood-curdling scream that struck fear into everyone's heart.

Kiba leapt towards Cheza's voice, but found only empty air and the floor.

"Cheza! Cheza, where are you?" he yelled.

"You mean she's not there anymore?" asked Aurora frantically. Another burst of Sesshomaru's light filled the room. Everyone could see Kiba lying on the floor where he had landed trying to help Cheza, and the flower maiden herself hanging a few feet above his head. She was wrapped up in tentacles protruding from the darkness formed on the ceiling from head to toe. Then the light died once again. Kiba snarled and lunged forward, prepared to gnaw the tentacles off of Cheza if he had to.

"Don't bite them!" Sesshomaru yelled. "We'll all be poisoned." Kiba changed tactics in mid-air and began to scratch at the tentacles instead. Hige and Blue ran towards the noise to lend their assistance where they could.

A tentacle wrapped itself around Kiba's ankle and pulled him out of the fray. He was being held upside-down above the ground, kicking at the offending object when he heard a whistling noise coming from behind him. He lunged forward, grabbing his ankles so he was doubled up, just in time. A slight breeze blew past Kiba as something flew past him. He let go and hung there for a moment before the whistling returned. He grabbed his ankle again, but not quickly enough as something was driven into his back. Kiba was paralyzed as the strength was slowly drained from his body.

Another flash of light illuminated Kiba's vision, allowing him to see what was happening in most of the room. Mizu, Manch and Aurora were working on getting Luna and Tsume to the door. They were keeping low to the ground and army crawling as they drug Tsume along behind them, creating a blood trail. Unfortunately, Kiba was facing the wrong direction to see Cheza, Hige and Blue, but by the sound of it, things were not going well. Cheza suddenly screamed as what Kiba could only assume to be these things driving into him finding a home in her as well, draining the life force from her frail body. A horrendous, inhuman shriek tore through the air, assaulting the sensitive hearing of all in the room as Cheza's "blood" came into contact with the monster. The things in Kiba's back were violently extracted and he was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground. Kiba's fall was accompanied by three more thumps as Blue, Hige and Cheza all dropped to the ground as well.

"Come on, let's get out of here! Cheza's bleeding, bad!" Hige yelled. He picked Cheza up and tried to figure out where the door was. Another blast of light rolled through the cell, allowing Hige to see where he needed to go. He ran for the door with Cheza secure in his arms and Blue at his side. Hige heard a whistling sound, the same one he heard just seconds before Cheza had screamed. He dropped to the ground, taking Cheza and Blue with him. The whistling increased and a breeze blew past, sending a chill down Hige's spine. On impulse he flipped over and raked his nails through the air. He smiled in satisfaction as his claws sliced through flesh, another tentacle rendered useless.

"Hige, blood," Blue said as she raised blood covered fingers to Hige's nose. He couldn't smell it, but he could taste it as Blue's fingers brushed his nose and he licked it.

"It's Tsume's blood. Come on, follow it, but stay on the ground," Hige ordered. He and Blue started an army crawl, dragging Cheza along much like Manch and Mizu had done with Tsume, only now they were following blood, not instinct. Something grabbed Cheza from their grasp then hauled Hige and Blue to their feet.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Toboe yelled. They threw all of their weight on the door, forcing it open.

There was a loud bang followed by a jumble of limbs as the door gave way and everyone inside fell out. Mizu and Luna were the first to disentangle themselves from the pile and slammed the door shut. Sesshomaru then found his feet and sealed the door.

"OK, let's never do that again," said Hige. Blue and Aurora were working on getting Kiba, Tsume and Cheza into positions that their wounds could be examined.

"We will have to go back in there," Sesshomaru informed him.

"WHAT! Are you crazy? We barely made it out of there alive and you want us to go back in there?" Hige cried.

"We have to. It is our- no, my responsibility to see Naraku destroyed."

"And just how do you intend to do that?"

"Simple. They woke Naraku, I shall wake Kagome."

"We'll go just as soon as we figure out what to do with Tsume," Kiba announced.'

"We will?" asked Manch.

"What about your injuries?" asked Toboe.

"Stop the bleeding and we'll be fine," Kiba insisted.

"How do we do that?" asked Blue.

"I know a place where we should be able to get cloth for bandages relatively easy," said Sesshomaru, heading down the hall. Everyone exchanged looks then set off after Sesshomaru, Hige carrying Tsume and Kiba carrying Cheza.

"Um, Hige, I just wanted to tell you how impressed I was at how you kept your cool back in the cell. It helped me a lot; I was really scared. Thank you," Blue said quietly, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. Hige returned the blush and said, "Aw, it was nothing."

"So, what exactly are we going to do now?" asked Toboe.

"Well, I guess we're getting bandages now," Blue answered.

"OK, then what? Are we just leaving or are we going to stay and help Sesshomaru destroy Naraku?"

"I'm staying to help," Luna declared.

"You're what?! Luna, you could be killed!" Aurora said, obviously disapproving of her little sister's decision.

"I know, but I want to help him. I want to help set things right."

"But it's not your place!"

"I know. But, this is what I want. I'm sorry, Aurora, but this is what I want to do." Aurora sighed in defeat, knowing they could go at this forever but she would never win. Her sister was just too much like her.

"In that case, I'm staying to help too," she declared, determined to protect her little sister.

"Oh man, that means we have to stick around too, Manch!"

"I know, Mizu, it's just tragic!" the two boys teased. Aurora gave them both a "friendly" elbow to the gut.

"Kiba? What about us? I want to stay and help too," Toboe begged quietly.

"Of course we're staying. We need to help set things right, like Luna said."

"We are?" Hige gulped. Kiba just looked at him and kept walking.

The group was soon at the head of the stairs in the hallway where they first encountered the guards and Tsume and Cheza were taken. Tsume was starting to come around, which was not a good thing judging by his wounds.

"This will not be easy to accomplish. The fewer we have the better," said Sesshomaru.

"I'll stay behind with Cheza and Tsume up on the ledge," Kiba announced, referring to the ledge they had used before.

"Toboe and Luna will come with me, the rest stay here," Sesshomaru declared.

"What? Why just Toboe and Luna?" asked Aurora.

"Because they are the fastest and are small enough to get through unnoticed."

"Promise me, promise, that you'll bring them back in one piece," Aurora pleaded, unwilling to lose her sister. As she stared into his eyes, she could have sworn she saw a flash of sorrow, pity, and maybe even remorse. Then she thought she mush have imagined it, for his eyes were nothing more than cold, amber orbs.

"They will both be fine. You have my word." With that, Sesshomaru, Toboe, and Luna set off deeper into the castle.

Would you believe that took me all day to write? Oh well, the next chapter will be very exciting, and action packed and who knows, they might even make it out of the castle! (Everyone rejoices, wondering just how long this story is going to be) Unfortunately, I need time to make it really good, so the next chapter will probably be postedTuesday or later, but hey, miracles have been known to occur. We'll see. I still want your opinions on all of the stuff that I said last time. You know, Kagome, Chapter 8 paragraph, rating, and any questions, comments or suggestions you might have. Until next time!


	11. Sleeping Beauty and the Mourning Dove

Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain or Inuyasha.

Hi guys! Sorry this took me a while, but I have started another fanfic called "The Truth of it All" in the Inuyasha section (check it out please), so I posted the first chapter of that then finished this chapter. Also, I finished writing this chapter Wednesday, it has been just a matter of finding enough time to get on the computer and type it. At the moment this story is my first priority, but I do not know when I will be updating again.

Anyway, I apologize, but there is some cursing in this chapter on Hige's part (given the circumstances, I think it is justified). I am particularly proud of this chapter. I think it is one of the best-written ones I have done so far (with a some-what cheesy/rushed ending), even if it did make me cry to write. But never fear! It will get happy, promise.

My reviews are dwindling! Thank you to those of you who did review. Here ya go!

Kazehana 10: Don't worry! Kagome is coming, I swear! I'm glad you like my story so much! Thanks!

Nikkler: I'm glad you found nothing wrong with the paragraph in chapter 8. I know it is a bit rushed, but at this point I was going more for the awkward "save me" rather than "love me!" I figure it can expand now that they are out of the cell. Ya know, get Tsume to actually LIKE her, get them out of the castle (I swear sometimes I think I should end it after they get out then make a sequel, at the rate I'm going this will be 100 chapters long!) and let romance flow. Lots of advice needed and wanted though (I know when I'm in over my head). As for a lemon, that would be great. I'd be more than willing to offer advice for your stories as well. Oh, glad you liked my new chapter. Once again, assistance is liked. I try to have the chapter titles have something to do with the chapter, but I had a hard time with this one. Thanks for everything!

i love athrun: Thanks, I will already!

Kagome1015: You think it should be Inuyasha? We'll see… Thanks for your opinion. Doesn't technology stink when it doesn't work? Thanks!

Also, sorry for any typing errors, I was in a hurry. OK, on to the story!

Chapter 11: Sleeping Beauty and the Mourning Dove

Toboe marveled at the lavish extent of the castle he was in. The whole place seemed to be carved from marble of varying colors.

"This place is really neat," he whispered excitedly.

"Shh!" Luna giggled, enchanted by the beauty of the castle as well. "Whoever built this place sure had taste, just look at those windows!"

"I know. I think it's neat how you can tell where the original castle ends and the Noble's fortress begins," Toboe said.

"I think it's sad that such beauty was tainted. Sesshomaru, who built this place?" Luna asked.

"My father," he answered. "Now, please, we do not want to be caught, we don't need any more rescue missions than necessary." The two pups then fell silent, occasionally glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes as they followed Sesshomaru. He quickly dodged to a corner and pushed, revealing a secret passageway.

"Get in, quickly," he ordered. It appeared as though the passages had gone undiscovered by the Noble's forces for the 200 years they reigned. A layer of dust covered the floor and there were cobwebs everywhere. The three crept down the passage, carefully pushing cobwebs aside, stifling sneezes and Luna and Toboe occasionally giggled as the dignified Sesshomaru pulled a cobweb off his face.

'Maybe Rin ended up in here,' Sesshomaru thought, images of the small child running, terrified through the secret passages she so loved forcing their way into his mind.

"Stop here," he ordered. Sesshomaru then turned to the wall he was standing in front of. He pushed lightly and the wall opened slightly. He looked and felt for a presence in the hall on the other side, but found nothing. He pushed the wall open further and stuck his head out. Still, nothing.

"This is the closest this passage will bring us. Come, I will keep guard," said Sesshomaru, leading Luna and Toboe out of the passage, down a hall, and around a corner. There they found a single wooden door. It turned out to be a rather large walk-in closet, full of sheets, towels, and various other linens.

"Collect what you think wee might need, and hurry," Sesshomaru ordered. Toboe and Luna ran in and did as they were instructed, gathering various sheets but trying to keep from hindering themselves.

"That's enough, let's go before the guards find us," said Sesshomaru. Toboe and Luna adjusted what they had and ran out ahead of Sesshomaru, finding their way by following their own scents.

"Shh, there are guards coming," Kiba warned. All whispers were silenced as the wolves waited for the guards to pass and Blue covered Tsume's mouth, doing her best to stifle his moans of pain. The soldiers passed quickly and everyone breathed a sigh of relief at narrowly escaping discovery yet again.

"Is it me, or have they started patrolling through this area more now?" asked Mizu.

"They probably have upgraded security. I doubt they believe for a second that whoever left all those carcasses we've been leaving behind has left the castle," said Aurora.

"Which means we have to be extra careful to get out of here as quickly as possible," said Kiba.

"Shh! Listen…" a series of soft patters could be heard coupled with a steady clicking sound could be heard approaching their hiding place. Hige leaned out over the edge to see what was coming. A large shadow loomed from around the corner, quickly growing. He took a quick whiff of the air around him.

"Good, their back," he whispered. Sure enough, Luna, Toboe and Sesshomaru emerged from around the corner, Luna and Toboe carrying white sheets. Sesshomaru took a pup in each arm and flew them up to the ledge.

"How is everyone?" Toboe asked.

"Fine, bloody, but fine," Blue answered. Those not badly injured quickly got to work tearing the sheets into long strips for bandages. Then they patched everyone up.

Tsume was slowly receding into his comatose state, moaning in pain as he did.

"Tsume?" Luna whispered. Tsume had lost, and was still losing, a lot of blood and he was starting to get a fever. Everyone anxiously watched him, afraid of what would happen if he didn't come around soon.

"Tsume, you have to wake up now, please Tsume," Toboe whimpered.

"Great, now what are we gonna do? We can't just leave him here alone, but if we're gonna wake this Kagome person we have got to go now," said Manch, getting grump and fed up with the world in general.

"I'll stay with him. Running from guards for dear life just isn't my style," Hige offered.

"Me too. I'll stay as well, just so that there is someone here who isn't injured," said Toboe.

Within ten minutes that will not be necessary. Toboe looked at the emotionless mask Sesshomaru called a face.

"He's still bleeding," said Blue.

"He lost a lot of blood before we got here too," said Mizu.

"I think his temperature is going down," Aurora observed, but did not look pleased.

"He's so gray," Luna noticed.

"Kiba," Toboe whimpered, seeing what was happening to his idol. Kiba did not respond, instead watching the man in front of him.

"Sesshomaru?" the pup turned to the ice prince, met by another emotionless brick wall. "Tsume?"

Tsume was vaguely aware of the people around him, but the pain going through his body captured most of his attention. He could hear voices that seemed a million miles away, calling his name.

'I feel so weak, what's wrong with me?' He couldn't move, and it was starting to get difficult to breathe.

'My chest feels so tight…help me, someone…help…' A sound cut through the pain, through the half-voices trying to force their way through the fog in his brain. The darkness around him began to lift as the sound became clearer and more focused, giving way to the sorrowful image of Cheza. The broken flower maiden offered up her song, filling Tsume's thoughts, caressing him and comforting him as though he were a child. When a single, moist diamond slipped down Cheza's face, Tsume felt the urge to reach up and brush it away. Her song hit its sorrowful climax and Tsume felt he had never been more at peace.

'Tell the runt, I'm sorry I couldn't take him to Paradise…' Tsume thought, somehow knowing Cheza could hear him. Tsume then let go, resigning himself to fate, smiling a sad smile as he was claimed by oblivion.

"_Tsume…"_ It was a breath on the wind, a single word that contained a world of meaning. Cheza shed the only tears for the disillusioned warrior. Toboe felt guilty for that, being in a state of mind beyond grief, beyond tears. He looked over at Sesshomaru who seemed to be looking just beyond Tsume's body at something only he could see.

"Come, let us go to Kagome," Sesshomaru said. Hige glared at him.

"How can you be like that? How can you be so cool and calm when a man just died? Let's go? _Lets go?!_ He's dead you jackass!" Hige yelled, not caring how much unwanted attention he could be attracting. He could no longer see the dark, cursed castle filled with danger. All he could see was a cold, unfeeling Sesshomaru standing before a dead Tsume.

"We are wasting time. Leave your friend here, we will retrieve him later," said Sesshomaru, apparently unfazed by the outburst. Hige's anger seemed tangible, but Kiba intervened before Hige could say something he might later regret.

"He's right. We need to get out of here and take care of Naraku. We'll take care of Tsume later."

Hige was obviously displeased with this decision, but decided it would be best to drop the subject for the time being. Manch covered Tsume with his jacket and the pack solemnly left the ledge, and their friend.

Sesshomaru had led them to another secret passage without incident. Everyone was silent, but each knew better than to think it was to prevent discovery. Toboe felt like a kid as he found his tears that now flowed freely down his cheeks.

It'll be all right, Toboe. For once, Toboe tried to ignore the voice, too focused on his own thoughts to bother with someone else's as well.

Sesshomaru traveled to the front of the group when they reached their stop. He repeated his slow process of opening the door and checking for guards before letting anyone else out.

"Follow me," he ordered, guiding them expertly through more hallways. These halls seemed to be where the Nobles lost interest in redecorating which was just as well. It was too beautiful to destroy. At one point the group found themselves passing through a set of elaborate wooden doors and then outside traveling down a hallway that's left wall was archways leading out to an intricate moon garden. Nature had taken over, giving the garden a wild, desperate beauty the likes of which could only be found in Paradise.

They were back inside quickly heading towards the warmth that was growing in their hearts.

Do you feel it, Toboe?

Yes, what is it? Toboe did not receive an answer. Instead, they picked up the pace.

"I'm surprised we haven't seen any guards yet," Mizu commented, unable to tolerate the silence any longer.

"Shh! You'll jinx us!" Manch snapped.

"This side of the castle is unused and sealed. We bypassed the seal in the hidden passage," said Sesshomaru.

"Oh," said Blue. Silence settled over the group once more. They turned down another hallway, this one seeming to be an art gallery of sorts. The walls were covered with grand portraits, each one grasping the heart making the viewer gasp.

"These are all people from my family and people of importance from the time," Sesshomaru informed them. Toboe stopped at a portrait of two young men who looked a lot alike, but very different just the same. The one was obviously Sesshomaru, but the other looked younger and had dog-ears on top of his head.

"That is my half-brother, Inuyasha," said Sesshomaru, answering the unasked question.

"What about this?" Hige asked, standing in front of a larger picture. In the painting was two demons, one being Inuyasha, the other was a small kitsune, a monk, a demon exterminator with a small cat-like demon resting on her shoulder, and a woman who's eyes and smile seemed to capture the viewer and hold them to her heart. Just looking at her made it seem as though it would all be all right, whatever it all was.

"Those are the Jewel hunters. The kitsune child is Shippo, the silver-haired one is my half-brother Inuyasha again, the monk is Miroku, the demon exterminator is Sango and her pet is Kirara, and the miko is Kagome," said Sesshomaru.

"That's them?" Hige breathed, awed at the power they exuded, even through paint, dust and centuries. Sesshomaru reached forward, placing his hand over Kagome's heart. He closed his eyes and muttered something, then pulled his hand away. The painting had changed with Kagome now holding a pink jewel in her hand. Sesshomaru once again reached forward, this time seeming to grasp the painted-on jewel and the painting seemed to vanish, leaving in its wake a new, clean set of stairs. Sesshomaru did not bother to say a word to anyone, instead just walking up the stairs, knowing the rest would follow.

At the top of the stairs was the most intricate wooden door yet, carved with a large knot design with two women standing back-to-back with an orb above their heads in the center.

"Behind this door is a room removed from time. Within that room lies the miko, Kagome. Remember, you are entering the presence of greatness. If it were not for her, we would probably not even be here to have this conversation." Sesshomaru started to open the door but suddenly stopped as though listening to something inside. He then decided to finish opening the door. For a moment nothing happened. Then…

"SESSHOMARU-SAMA!" squealed the blur that shot out of the room and collided with Sesshomaru's legs. Everyone looked in shock at the small black-haired child clinging desperately to his legs, then to the small toad with a staff that ran out after her.

"Sesshomaru-sama! You survived! Well, of course I knew you would, but that's not to say I wasn't concerned! I mean, OH, I was so worried!" the toad-demon exclaimed.

"Jaken, what are you doing here?" Sesshomaru asked, voice as emotionless as ever but eyes betraying the joy he felt for having the two in front of him back at his side.

"You told me to take care of Rin, so I decided when the castle was attacked that it was my duty to protect her, so I brought her here and we've been here ever sense," Jaken exclaimed.

"You mean you ran from battle?" asked Blue. Jaken was outraged by the accusation.

"No, it would indeed pain Jaken to leave my side," said Sesshomaru, now holding the small child. "This is my servant Jaken, and my ward Rin," Sesshomaru introduced.

"Wolves?!" Jaken asked, outraged for some unknown reason. Rin smiled, wriggled free and ran around, hugging everyone. She lingered with Cheza, who was fascinated by the child.

"We are wasting time," Sesshomaru announced, heading into the room. It was a large, elaborate room with a bed in the center. On the bed was the girl from the portrait. She was wearing a short green skirt, white knee-highs, brown loafers, and a white long-sleeved blouse with a green sailor-collar, cuffs and a red scarf, and she had long black hair.

"Kagome." On the wall above the head of the bed hung two swords. First Sesshomru took these down and placed them at his waist. Then he sat on the bed at Kagome's side, placing his hand over her heart.

"To control your wayward soul, my strength I lend, the jewel I awaken…" Kagome's eyes slowly slid open, showing their brown depths to everyone. She then slowly sat up and looked around. A brilliant smile suddenly found its way to her lips, lighting the whole room.

"Wow," someone breathed.

It took about thirty minutes for her to fully awaken, leaving everyone to marvel at her beauty and easy grace. Her eyes though were what stunned everyone. Even her eyes in the portrait did her no justice. Those eyes betrayed her every emotion and, like the picture, seemed to assure all that everything would be all right, she would see to that.

The group filled the three in on what had happened and what needed to be done.

Sesshomaru stood up and started to walk to the door. "Before we deal with Naraku, I have something I need to do."

Whoa! Another major event down! OK, before you swear to stop reading my story read the next chapter first. Some of you may have already figured out what Sesshy is up to, but we'll see. Sorry if Rin and Jaken being alive is kind of corny. I figured that if you have Sesshy you have to have Jaken. They are just the greatest character foils ever. I also figured that if Jaken saved himself, he would probably save Rin too out of fear of what Sesshy would do to him if he didn't. I had this big elaborate thing all planned out. Either Rin had been adopted by the Nobles and was the new one or they would learn she did have that happy life Sesshomaru had wanted for her and maybe even find her grave. But, you see what happened. OK, I still need to know you peoples opinions so review me and don't forget to check out my other story, "The Truth of it All" in the Inuyasha section. Thanks, review!


End file.
